Make it merry, bright and oh so memorable with these wonderful, sentimental Christmas traditions

Isn’t this time of year fun?! There just seems to be an excitement in the air and it brings us so much joy! One way to make the lead up to Christmas even more special, is through wonderful, sentimental Christmas traditions.

From matching Christmas pjs, to giving back to those less fortunate, take a look at our favourite and most magical Christmas traditions that you can start at your place. Let’s get merry!

Related article: DIY Christmas hacks to decorate your home
Related article: Best Christmas decorating hacks 2025: Easy, stylish ideas for a festive home

Decorate the Christmas tree

This one is a little obvious but if you have kids, letting them decorate the tree can be really special. Preferably while listening to Christmas carols of course! True, you won’t have the beautiful aesthetic Christmas tree that Instagram is begging for but you are creating wonderful childhood memories that will last a lifetime.

Besides, we won’t tell anyone if you fix up all the wonky decorations or branches with 15 decorations on each when they’re in bed 😉 .

Another suggestion is to have a Christmas tree for your little people to decorate to their hearts content, and then have the beautiful one YOU really want in another room. Everybody’s happy!

Choose a new Christmas tree ornament

Staying with the tree theme, another unique Christmas traditions idea is to choose or make a new Christmas tree ornament each year.

Whether it be something you get made (there are some wonderful options available on Etsy), make yourself (we have lots of Christmas DIYs to inspire!) or just choose a new one at the shops you like. Having a new ornament each year is lovely to look back on over the years and reminice.

Our fave Christmas buys

Embrace Elf on the shelf

You’re either a fan of Elf on the shelf, or you avoid it like the plague! One thing’s for sure, kids love it. Their little faces every morning in December while they search for their elf is pretty addictive! It’s a sure fire way to keep the Christmas spirit alive in the lead up to Christmas!

If you decide you do want to play along, don’t feel pressured to do crazy, elaborate things every night (unless that’s your jam, in which case we say GO for it!). Instagram and Pintrest provide an endless supply of fun and simple ideas you can steal for your cheeky elf.

Some super easy, low-effort elf on the shelf ideas include:

Are you a fan of Elf on the shelf? Or perhaps you have some epic ideas you’d like to share! Drop them in the comment section below (we’re always looking for new Elf ideas!).

Write a letter to Santa

A sweet Christmas tradition is writing a letter to the man in the red suit. If your child can write, get them to give it a go themselves, otherwise you can write it with them. It’s super cute to write down exactly what they say so you can look back on them in years to come and remember what they said!

It’s also a great way to get them to lock in their gift ideas if they’re notorious for constantly changing their minds! And don’t forget to take a photo of their letter if you actually send it so you have a memory of it!

Have a photo with Santa

Whether you have kids or not, you can’t go wrong with a photo with the big man! These make wonderful keepsakes to look back on over the years to see how your kids (or you!) have grown.

Donate to a food or toy drive

Christmas is a time for giving, but not everyone is in such a fortunate position to do so. Donating to a charity, toy or food drive is a special way to give back and to encourage us all to think beyond the busyness of the season.

Getting your kids involved is a great way to help them understand that not everyone gets what they want at Christmas. Ideas include asking your children to donate some money from their pocket money to contribute towards a gift for another child. This one is nice for them as they can choose the toy too.

You could also do a big clear out at home to donate any unwanted toys to donate to charity. Or, perhaps just give a monetary donation. Whatever we can do to spread that Christmas spirit a little further, we’re here for.

Want, need, read, wear, share

We’re not sure about you, but sometimes, kids get way too many presents at Christmas. A top Christmas traditions idea to lessen the spend is to adopt the gift giving idea of ‘want, need, read, wear, share’. This simple but sweet concept pares back that Christmas spending and allows you to give just a handful of thoughtful gifts, rather than more is more.

Want — the main Christmas present they really want. Make sure you get this in writing to Santa so it’s locked in 😉 .
Need — think lunchboxes, water bottles, backpacks, quilt cover set… something useful yet practical!
Read — books are always a good idea.
Wear — a new hat, pair of togs or rashie, shorts, jumper… you get the idea!
Share — if you have one child, this could be something you could share as a family. Or if you have more than one, a ‘share’ gift is a nice way to teach them to, well… share! Board games, a play sofa, video game, pool toys, basketball hoop or outdoor games make great shared gift ideas.

Play Secret Santa

Another way to keep the Christmas fun going is through Secret Santa. Whether this is for work, friends or family, Secret Santa is a great way to cut back on how many presents you have to buy! Plus it’s fun!

You can keep it secret — there are cool apps and websites you can use to select the names for you and email them out to people so nobody knows who’s got who! Or, you can keep it simple by switching it up every year.

Less presents but better presents — yes please!

Countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar

Advent calendars are such a special way to countdown the days until Christmas. There are a stack to choose from, including the classic chocolate a day calendar, to Lego and anything else you could possibly think of.

For an advent calendar that you can use year after year, why not consider a reusable style? You can either make your own like the one shown below, or you can buy versions in all kinds of styles like little wooden house with individual drawers. Pop in a note per day with an activity or adventure that you and the family can do together.

This list of memorable Christmas traditions should give you plenty of ideas to get you started!

Create a Christmas Eve box

An ever growing trend on people’s Christmas bucket list is to create a Christmas Eve box. These are such a fun way to capture the magic of the night before Christmas with a box filled with special treats.

Think a Christmas mug, matching Christmas pjs (more on those in a sec!) a Christmas book, or new tree ornament. A Christmas DVD you can watch that night is also fun, or perhaps something for Santa like a special board for him and his reindeers snacks to sit on.

Need more inspiration? Check out what Gina pops in her Christmas Eve box here.

Matching Christmas pjs

Whether you hold off on these until 24 December or you bring them out on the first of the month (or earlier, no judgement here) Christmas pjs are always fun! And matching Christmas pjs are even more fun — if you can get everyone to agree on the design!

There are so many options available these days. We found cute ones in Peter Alexander, Cotton On, Best & Less, Kmart and Big W.

Snuggle up for a Christmas movie marathon

Nothing gets you in the spirit of Christmas quite like watching a Christmas movie (or 3!). Whether it’s a school holiday activity or you save it for Christmas Eve, Christmas movies are such a fun time.

Watch a few back-to-back, grab a hot chocolate (or an iced chocolate if it’s a balmy evening!) and settle in for a night of Christmas wonder.

Wanna go all out? Why not create an outdoor cinema set up like this one!

Go sparkly eyed for Christmas lights

Ok, so this one has got to be one of our favourite Christmas traditions. Going for a drive (or walk!) to look for houses decked out in Christmas lights is so magical. The time and effort some people put in is incredible and it’s not just the kids who ooh and ahh over the sparkly delights.

Google your local suburbs and you’ll usually be able to find a list of the best ones to visit. But to be honest, just a string of fairylights will get us in the Christmas spirit!

Read a Christmas book

Keep things simple with a Christmas book. Hopefully you haven’t had to read these books year round (a good tip is to pop them away in a toy rotation system once the silly season is over!) so they keep their magic at this time of year.

And this doesn’t just apply to kids books. There are plenty of adult books with a Christmas theme to help you get in the spirit.

Bake some Christmas cookies or a gingerbread house

When the house is filled with the smells of freshly baked gingerbread, you know it’s Christmas! Baking for yourself, or someone special — perhaps as a thank you to a friend or neighbour — gives off some seriously good Christmassy vibes.

We love traditional gingerbread cookies or if you’re feeling brave, a gingerbread house. You can also skip the hassle and buy pre-made ones and just do the fun decorating part!

We’ve also seen some other cute Christmas cookies like melting snowmen or candy cane cookies — just bake what you love and enjoy it. It’s Christmas so the calories don’t count*.

*This probably isn’t true!

Celebrate with a bang and make your own Christmas crackers

Christmas crackers are pretty much a standard for every festive dinner table. But how often are you disappointed with what’s inside? Making your own Christmas crackers couldn’t be simpler.

All you need is:

• Some empty toilet rolls.
• Cracker snaps (these are readily available at craft stores).
• A fun prize (lipgloss, lollies, a novelty pen, Lindt chocolate balls… there are lots of options!).
• A handwritten Christmas joke (optional, but what’s a Christmas cracker without a bad Christmas joke?!).
• Christmas wrapping paper. You can use paper to match your Christmas table theme too! Another tip is to use a thinner paper or tissue paper so the cracker still pops.
• Ribbon to tie up the ends.

Simply cut some paper to size, pop the toilet roll into the middle and add the prize and snap inside. Roll the cracker, twist the ends to make that traditional cracker shape and secure with ribbon.

Voilà! Stylish Christmas cracker done with a prize that won’t just end up in the bin with the dregs of Christmas lunch!

Make some Christmas cards or craft

School holidays can be long slog, so any activity to kill some time is a winner in our books! Get the kids to have a craft-ernoon and make some handmade Christmas cards for friends and family. No one can resist a thoughtful, handmade card!

And no one said this was an activity just for kids. Why not have a go at making your own Christmas wrap? Like this stunning potato print gift wrap, found here in our 50 gift wrapping ideas article.

Still feeling crafty? Get your DIY on with one of these fab Christmas DIYs

For those a little more experienced in the DIY department (aka adults — no other experience necessary!) making some projects at Christmas is a great tradition to get on board with.

Maybe you’d like to make a Christmas door mat? Or a new Christmas wreath? Or try your hand at the oh so simple but oh so impressive dried orange slices to adorn all your Christmas gifts this year?

By creating a new Christmas DIY every year, you will always have a beautiful festive home.

Plan your Christmas tablescape

It’s no secret we love a Christmas tablescape! And coming up with a new theme each year is exciting to plan and create. And while your Christmas tree is likely to be the star of your Christmas styling, we think a beautiful tablescape is definitely next in line.

Read this article to get our top tips for how to create the perfect Christmas tablescape.

Style up a Christmas grazing board

Christmas is about the food, right?! We mean, after the whole getting together with friends and family bit. We’re joking of course, but food IS a big part of Christmas.

We love to plan a Christmas grazing board and it can become a fun, tasty Christmas tradition each and every year. Find our best grazing board styling tips here.

Create an annual Christmas cocktail (or mocktail)

Christmas and the clink of the glass… we can hear it now! Why not make fun Christmas traditions by creating a different Christmas cocktail (or mocktail) each year?

Just think how much fun it will be testing them out so they’re perfect for the big day 😉 . Plus we can guarantee your friends and family will look forward to this one as much as you will!

Some of our faves include mulled wine, the classic mimosa or a cranberry and orange whiskey sour.

And for some fabulous mocktails, why not try a frozen apple margarita or pink grapefruit fizz?

Take a dip before the excitement of presents

It’s likely the thing that gets the kids out of bed at silly o’clock on Christmas morning is the presents. So a fun idea that came through from an SC reader, was to opt for a swim before opening presents. If you have access to a pool or even better, the beach, this sounds like a wonderful Christmas traditions to adopt.

Are you feeling festive and excited for Christmas now?! Perhaps our list has inspired you to start a new Christmas tradition or 2! What are your Christmas traditions? Have you got some that you think need to make our list? We’d love you to share them with us in the comment section below!

More Christmas content here

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